Why Two Hands on the Wheel Still Matter
(And Why 10 and 2 Became 8 and 3)
Melissa Katz
McGavin, Boyce, Bardot, Thorsen & Katz
If you learned to drive back in the day, chances are you were taught to hold the steering wheel at 10 and 2, as if your hands were pointing to the numbers on a clock. It was drilled into us during driver’s education, reinforced by parents, and treated as gospel.
So why has the guidance changed? And more importantly, why does having two hands on the wheel still matter so much?
THE CORE RULE HAS NOT CHANGED
Driving is a two-handed activity. Two hands on the wheel give you better control, faster reaction time, more stability in emergencies, and greater precision when something unexpected happens. Emergencies do not come with warnings and when they happen, your body needs to react instantly.
A TRIAL THAT STUCK WITH ME
In a recent case, I defended a case involving a tragic head-on collision. The plaintiff was an unfortunate victim of a driver traveling in the opposite direction who crossed over a double yellow line and struck his vehicle head-on.
The plaintiff suffered multiple broken bones but, thankfully, made a good physical recovery. During trial, his family members described a different aftermath. They portrayed him as depressed and deeply fearful of driving. His brother testified that since the crash, the plaintiff now drives with both hands on the steering wheel at all times. Before the accident, the brother said, plaintiff usually drove with just one hand. I remember thinking how odd that testimony sounded. Not because anxiety after a serious crash is unusual, it is not. But because driving with one hand has always struck me as something else entirely, a little lazy, or perhaps overly confident. That testimony unintentionally highlighted an important truth. There is a reason we are taught, still taught, to drive with two hands on the wheel.
WHY 10 AND 2 USED TO BE TAUGHT
The original 10 and 2 position made sense decades ago. Cars were heavier, steering was less responsive, and airbags either did not exist or were in their infancy. At the time, that position offered good leverage and control.
WHY 8 AND 3 OR 9 AND 3 IS NOW SAFER
Modern vehicles changed the rules, especially with airbags.
Today’s recommended hand position, 8 and 3 or 9 and 3, exists largely because of airbag deployment. When a front airbag deploys, it does so with explosive force in a split second. Hands positioned at 10 and 2 are directly in its path, increasing the risk of wrist fractures, forearm injuries, and facial injuries. Lowering your hands keeps your arms out of the airbag’s deployment zone while still giving you excellent control of the vehicle. It is safer, more natural, and reduces fatigue.
THE ONE-HANDED MYTH
We have all seen it and probably done it. One hand on the wheel. Coffee, phone, or armrest in the other. But decades of accident cases tell the same story. When something unexpected happens, one-handed drivers react more slowly, over-steer, and lose control during evasive maneuvers. It is not about carelessness. It is about physics.
THE BIGGER LESSON
That brother’s testimony stayed with me, not because it proved fear, but because it accidentally proved wisdom. Driving with two hands should not be something we do after trauma. It should be something we do before it. Good driving habits do not feel dramatic. They do not show confidence. They show responsibility.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Two hands give you control. 8 and 3 or 9 and 3 protects you in modern vehicles. One hand adds unnecessary risk. Behind the wheel, discipline matters. And often, the habits we think are casual or confident are the very ones that cost us the most.
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